A P R I L 2 0 1 9 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 1 1 5
Surgical headlight designs
continue to evolve to meet
the needs of demanding
surgeons. If you haven't
shopped the latest options,
it might be time to take
another look at recent
enhancements that are
making the devices more
attractive and more user-
friendly than ever.
• Quality lights.
Headlights that use LED technology run cooler, last longer and
are more energy-efficient. LED lights, unlike yellowish halogen
bulbs, emit a purer white light, which many surgeons prefer.
They also render colors more accurately than even filtered halo-
gen lights do — red in particular, which greatly aids tissue identi-
fication. Because of these clear upgrades, the surgical headlight
industry has embraced LED. One criticism of LED lights, howev-
er, is that they can be so bright or blue that they can hurt the sur-
geon's eyes, or cause glare. Another is upfront cost, which is
higher than traditional lights — although you need to also consid-
er LED's vastly longer lifespan.
• Freedom of movement. A major issue with surgical head-
lights has always been the need to connect them to a power
source or light source box. That means the surgeon is tethered to
a fiber optic or electrical cable, and that pesky wire might need to
New Headlights Are Worth Checking Out
ENHANCED DESIGNS
• HEADS UP If your surgeons are complaining about their surgical
headlights, the latest options might address their concerns.